String bean slicer



STRING BEAN SLICER Filed April 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Jan.19, 1937.- w NORMAN 2,068,464

STRING BEAN SLICER Filed April 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wm M ATTORNEYSPatented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to string bean slicers, and has for the primaryobject the provision of a device of this character, which willefficiently and rapidly sever beans either endwise or diagonally intostrips prior to cooking, so that when cooked the beans will be moretender and have an improved taste.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is an end elevation illustrating a string bean slicer constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view, partly broken away, showing the cuttingmeans for severing the beans.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure2.

Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the base of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a basehaving depending portions 2 which may be bolted or otherwise secured toa housing of an electric motor 3 so that the base will be supportedhorizontally and with a portion thereof projecting beyond one end of theelectric motor. Said portion of the base has formed thereon pairs ofupstanding posts 4 equipped with journals 5 to rotatably support shafts6 and I. These shaftsparallel one another and are connected by gears 8whereby the rotation of one shaft in one direction will bring about arotation of the other shaft in an opposite direction. The shaft I isbelted to the armature shaft of the electric motor, as shown at 9.

Removably secured to the shaft 6 is a series of relatively spacedcircular knives IIl spaced from each other by spacers II. The knives andspacers are secured to the shaft 6 for rotation therewith and areretained assembled on the shaft by lock nuts I2 threaded to said shaft.

A drum I3 is secured to the shaft 1 and has formed in its peripheryspaced annular grooves I4 to receive the cutting edges of the knives.

Carried by the base I and surrounding the knives and the drum is acasing I5 having a mouth I6 disposed directly above the space betweenthe shafts and also is provided with an outlet opening IT. A deflectingguard plate I8 is mounted to the base and includes a series of spacedcurved fingers I9 extending between the knives with the upper ends ofthe fingers directed laterally of one side of the mouth I6. Beans arefed to the knives by way of the mouth I6 and are severed from end toendwith the severed portions of the beans gravitating from the casing byway of the opening I! and may be caught by a receptacle I9 positionedunder the base. The beans are fed to the knives endwise and areprevented from following the rotation of the knives by the fingers I9 ofthe guard I8. The peripheries of the knives are beveled to form cuttingedges.

A device of this character being power driven will rapidly andefiiciently sever beans into strips or diagonal sections. The machine iscomposed of a minimum number of parts easily dismantled for cleaning,replacing dull knives, or making repairs thereto.

The machine will slice beans or vegetables lengthwise by inserting thebeans horizontally, or diagonally by inserting the beans at an angle.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A string bean slicer comprising an elongated base having a dischargeslot, depending portions secured on said base and secured on oppositeends of an electric motor for supporting said base horizontally and witha portion thereof projecting beyond one end of the electric motor,rotatable cutters journaled on the base, a drum journaled on the baseand having grooves to receive the cutters, means connecting the drum andcutters to the electric motor, a casing carried by the base and locatedover the cutters and drum and having a mouth positioned over the cuttersand drum and in alignment with the discharge slot, and a guard securedto the base adjacent the slot and including spaced curved fingersprojecting between the cutters and laterally of the mouth and drum.

ARTHUR WM. NORMAN.

